We are now operating under level 5 and throughout this period the following practice is being adopted to limit the number of persons attending the Courthouse in person. I have requested and have received a direction from the Judge of the Midland Circuit, Judge Johnson pursuant to the provisions of the Civil Matters & Criminal Matters (Miscellaneous) Act 2020, to conduct all court applications and matters which come before me remotely where possible.
Accordingly the following measures apply :
1. All motions/ adjournments on consent can continue to be dealt with via email. To move these applications remotely, both parties need to send emails of consent to the court office no later than 24 hours before the court date. Emails to be sent to: mullingarcourtoffice@courts.ie
2. Mullingar Civil Motions and Family Law Motion Courts: These courts will be heard remotely and links to the virtual courts will be sent to all legal practitioners in the days before each court date. Lay litigants will be required to attend the court in person. All legal practitioners are highly recommended to attend these courts remotely.
3. Possession Motion Courts: Parties are requested to attend the court in person or email if it is a consent matter.
4. Athlone Civil Motions and Family Motions: where a lay litigant is in a motion, such motions will be heard in person in Athlone courthouse. Where all the parties to a motion are represented by solicitors, such motion will be heard remotely and links to the virtual courts will be sent to legal practitioners in the days before the court days.
5. Civil & Family Law Case Progressions (Mullingar and Athlone) : These courts will be heard remotely and links to the virtual courts will be sent to all legal practitioners in the days before each court date. Lay litigants will be required to attend the court in person. All legal practitioners are encouraged and recommended to attend these courts remotely.
6. Taxations: All taxations this year so far, have been conducted remotely and will continue to be heard remotely unless there is a compelling reason to have it heard in court.
7. Marriage exemptions and Care Representative appointment applications: practitioners should submit their applications to the court office as usual and will be dealt with by remote hearing.
8. Callovers: In November 2020, the Civil and Family callovers will be conducted virtually using remote conferencing software Pexip. The Possession Callover will occur by email.
Brídín Concannon
County Registrar